Springless safety clamp for live wires



y 9, 10929- H. w. BODENDIECK ET AL 1.720.030

SPRINGLESS SAFETY CLAMP FOR LIVE WIRES Filed Feb. 10, 1926 6 F I B. 2.

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Patented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY WILLIAM BODENDIECK AND MELVIN THOMAS TIPSORD, OF TAYLORVILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO TIPS TOOL COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF TAYLORVILLE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SPRINGLESS SAFETY CLAMP FOR LIVE WIRES.

Application filed February The invention relates to wire-clamping devices usable in conjunction with wires or appliances carrying electric current at high voltage dangerous to human life.

The purposes of the invention are to provide a springless clamp of improved form adapted to prevent slipping of the clamp on the live wire, or other accidental displacement of the clamp; to provide a clamp of improved form specially adapted to be operated by insulated tools for applying the clamp quickly and safely to the live wire, or other appliance, and removing it from same, with like speed and safety, and adapted to hold the clamp securely during the operations of attaching it to, or removing it from the live wire, or appliance; to provide a clamp specially adapted to be safely manipulated by usual insulating links or poles, for work such as by-passing, cutting in service lines, connecting, or disconnecting, transformers, lightning-arresters, and jumpers at junction poles, on lines at any voltage; also useful instead of junction blocks on farm lines, and also useful for test-clamps, test stations on telephone lines and sleet and ground clamps; to provide an improved clamp of such form that the clamp itself serves as a guide while it is being placed on the live wire; to provide a clamp so constructed and arranged that a bypass wire may be brought into the clamp either from above or from below, in a direction transverse to the direct-ion of the main line wire with which it is to be connected, thus preventing rotation of the tool on either wire; and to provide other improved structural details.

With these purposes in view a preferred appliance embodying our invention is shown in the accompanying drawing to which reference is hereby made and will now be described and claimed. Figure l is a perspective view of the appliance in place on a live wire, viewed from the right and looking upward towards the wire; and Fig. 2 is a right-hand side view of the same appliance. Similar reference numerals designate similar parts in both views.

The main structure is preferably a suitable metal casting comprising a base 1, a screw block 2, a cross-head 3 having a V shape groove 3 in its under side formed to contact with the curved surface of the underlying a finger, or a prong of the usual insulating I link (not shown), used to raise the appliance and place it on the live wire, said insu lating link being rotative to operate the screw actuating the clamping block. The cross head 3 has also an integral reinforce ment 3 which strengthens that part of the head which is opposite the groove 3 A screw 6 rotates in a bore 16 extending through the block 2 and having screw threads matching the threads of the screw; the screw has also an eye 7 adapted to receive a member of a suitable insulating link, permitting the user to rotate the screw while he is at a safe distance and insulated from the live wire. A clamping-block 5 has a swivel connection 17 with the screw 6 and is formed to slide freely on the guide member 4. Set screws 13 secure the wire 10 in the bore 8.

In the under side of the member 3 is a depression 3 to permit free upward and downward travel of the block 5 and a V-shape groove 3 to receive the wire 9 and keep it in such position that the block, when moved upwardly to the full extent will bear firmly on the wire, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The front edge 5 of the block 5 is slightly tapered, and the front face 2 of the screwblock 2 also is rounded as shown, in order that when the parts are very close together as indicated in Fig. 2 the smooth surfaces 2 and 5 will be useful as guides to facilitate the placing of the appliance on the wire 9 and to facilitate its removal. from the wire, without scraping or injury to the Wire in either case.

Following is the mode of using the appliance:

At the outset the screw 6 will be retracted to bring the clamping-block 5 against or very close to the screw-block 2, so that the adjacent parts 2 and 5 will guide and facilitate the placing of the appliance on the wire 9, with the wire in the groove 3*. The

wire 10, or equivalent member, will be inserted in the bore 8, either from above, or below, as may be convenient, and the set screws 13 will be tightened to hold the wire or member securel 1 in the bore. A finger or prong of a suita le insulating link will be inserted in the hole 14, and the insulating link will be used to raise the appliance and place it on the live wire with that wire in the groove 3 The finger or prong of the insulating link will then be withdrawn from the hole 1& and inserted in the eye 7, and the insulating link will be rotated, to eli'ect rotation of the screw '6 to cause the clamping block 5 to travel upward along the guide 4- and press the wire intothe groove 3 to hold the wire securely, and this is easily accomplished without the clamp either sliding, or rotating excessively, on the wire 9, because the wire 10 is approximately at rightangles to the groove 3" and the wire 9; and sufiiciently opposes rotation or sliding, or rotation and sliding, of the clamp on the live wire and thereby obviates accidental detachment of the clamp.

lVe are aware of the prior use of spring clamps on live wires; but such clamps are not dependable because the springs soon deteriorate when subjected to the heavy voltages now commonly used; we are also aware of the prior use of clamps which hold a secondary wire approximately parallel to the main or live wire, but such clamps are insecure and likely to slip and result in serious accident because the parallel wires do not oppose rotation of the clamp on either wire; we therefore do not claim broadly a clamp adapted to hold two wires, but we do believe that we are the first to devise and use a springless clamp for live wires having a cross head with a cylindrical bore at right angles to the live wire, open at both ends and adapted to permit free insertion of a branch line, or a jumper wire, from either side of the live wire, and having two holes, one in the front wall and the other in the end wall of the cross head and adapted to receive a finger or prong of a link stick, or the like, used to place and adjust the clamp on the live wire; said holes being so disposed that if some intervening object prevents access to one hole the other may be used.

Having fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The improved clamp usable in live-wire maintenance service, comprising an elongated body having an integral screw block, a lengthwise integral guide-mcmber-,a cross head at right angles to said body and having a V-shaped groove to receive the live line, said cross head having also a cylindrical bore open at both ends adapted to permit the insertion of a branch line from either side or the'live line, said cross head having also two holes in angular relation to each other and located to permit selective use of the holes to receive a finger of an instrument safely usable to manipulate 'the clamp; a screw engaging in said screw block and having an eye to receive an insulating instrument safely usable to rotate the screw; and a smooth self-aligning clamping block pro pelled in a straight line by the screw and adapted to bear equally and firmly on a live wire occupying the groove in said cross hez d.

In witness whereof each of us has signed his name to this specification this 25th day of November 1925 at Taylorville, Illinois.

HENRY WILLIAM BODENDI'EGK. MELVIN THOMAS TIPSORD. 

